Elementary teachers can write bare minimum according to legislation

Teachers Action 2012

DURHAM -- In a bid to get reaction from the provincial government, teachers in the Durham District School Board may send home progress reports with few comments next month.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario advised members to fill in only the minimum of comments on fall progress reports -- a sentence, perhaps, rather than a paragraph -- to protest the Province's unpopular wage-freeze bill, Putting Students First.

"We're advising our members that they should continue to report as they have, and to consider looking at (the provincial document) Growing Success and report according to that," said Gerard O'Neill, Durham local ETFO president.

That policy document indicates teachers don't need to comment on every subject or learning skill, according to the ETFO website.

We want to let (Minister of Education Laurel Brote

"We go way beyond that, and we say good on them," said Mr. O'Neill. "In the best of times, we'd be very happy about (long comments), but these aren't the best of times."

If there's no need to elaborate on a child's progress report, Mr. O'Neill said teachers can keep it short.

"But if a child's having problems, we're saying they shouldn't," he said.

Interviews will continue, said Mr. O'Neill.

He hopes this action will draw Minister of Education Laurel Broten's attention back to the issues teachers are facing. The Putting Students First bill means teachers will face a forced contract on Jan. 1 that includes wage freezes if local school boards and unions don't sign new agreements by then. Teachers throughout Durham have taken other actions such as pickets and stopping extracurricular activities to show their distaste.

"We want to let her know that in advance there are going to be problems unless she looks seriously at what's happening," said Mr. O'Neill.

Ms. Broten gave the ETFO's latest move an 'F' at a press conference Thursday.

"The bare minimum is not good enough for the students of this province," she said.

"Teachers have every right to express their concerns with the government, but it should be expressed to the government, not by taking actions that put at risk the success of our students," she said. "I want to see a fall progress report card with details."

Ms. Broten admitted the government has no power to stop the pressure tactic because teachers who follow it are within the law as long as they enter some sort of comment. Still, she called on the union to withdraw this advice to teachers.

She said she has invited ETFO president Sam Hammond to a meeting early next week in hopes they can "find a way forward together," and Mr. Hammond released a statement saying he looks forward to meeting with the minister.

"ETFO has always been willing to sit down with the minister and engage in a fair discussion process," he said. "However the government's 'take it or leave it' approach since February has precluded any meaningful discussion."

Progress reports in the Durham board are scheduled to go home Nov. 12.

-- With files from the Toronto Star

Kristen Calis covers Pickering and writes a pet column for the Metroland Media Group’s Durham Region Division. Anyone with upcoming animal charity events that they would like listed in Kristen’s Kritters can e-mail kcalis@durhamregion.com.